Dimming Candle
by Neros
Summary: A new student, some strange happenings, and a love that blooms in a strange way. Hopefully not MarySue. Please read my footnotes. Rated M for safety.


D i m m i n g . C a n d l e

By Neros

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Ouran or any characters other than Kareru. I will try to prevent my character from becoming a Mary-Sue, but she is based completely off of me.

Anime: Ouran High School Host Club

Pairing: Kareru (ooc) / Hikaru

Rating: M (mature) for incest, rape, and adult themes

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kareru leaned with her hand on the wall of the large academy, her arm supporting her weight as she panted heavily from jogging all the way to her new school. It hadn't been that much of a run, but Kareru wasn't particularly fond of running after she had sprained her ankle in a cross-country accident. The injury had never completely healed and still hurt from time to time, but she could stand the pain as long as she kept her mind busy. When she had caught her breath, Kareru looked around the vast school, in awe of the grandeur of the large building. She had been to many schools (too many to count), but this was by far the most intriguing of them all. She flung her bag across her shoulders and headed towards the principal's office. She entered the room slowly and sat down in the chair in front of the man's desk. She was nervous, but hid it well under a practiced, fake smile. The conversation took no longer than five minutes while they talked about her new classes and exemption from Physical Education for health reasons. She was about to leave when a sudden thought crossed her mind.

"If you don't mind, sir, I would like to wear my regular clothing. The school uniform just doesn't seem to suit me well," she said as she turned her eyes back to face her superior. The man simply smiled and motioned for her to be on her way. Adults seemed like complicated beings to Kareru. She could never figure out what they meant by their strange gestures. She looked at her school calendar and realized that it was a free day at Ouran Academy. Deciding to wander around her new school, she adjusted the straps of her bag and ambled down the clean hallway. She paused to look out of an open window and marveled at the sight she beheld. The sun shone from a clear, blue sky while birds sang from the trees that lined the neighborhoods surrounding the school. She swept her short, orange-brown hair behind her back and continued her exploration. Kareru eagerly searched the hallways with her green eyes, waiting to find a room she could enter out of curiosity. She found it soon enough.

A room marked as 'The Third Music Room' stood before the petite teenager, a friendly presence floating from behind the doors. She hesitantly opened the doors and walked inside the room to meet a host (quite literally) of teenaged boys. Kareru seemed somewhat shocked at finding people in the seemingly empty room, but she shook off her surprise quickly. There were seven young boys (including Haruhi, but she doesn't know about her yet) standing in various positions around a couch. They welcomed her with practiced precision and she walked slowly towards them, unsure whether she should introduce herself. She didn't normally interact with people, it just wasn't her nature. There was just something about these people that drew her to them and she liked it.

The Ouran Host Club watched as the new girl walked towards them, almost as if she was wary of their intentions. She was dressed rather peculiarly, almost like a…dare they say it…commoner. Her top was a short-sleeved, white shirt that flared out a bit at the waist. She also wore a short, reddish-brown, pleated skirt which nicely complimented her hair. Her accessories consisted of, strangely, a necktie the same color as her skirt with a white 'K' on it. Ordinary women didn't wear neckties, but it was obvious that she was no ordinary woman. She seemed somewhat stand-offish, but her spirit felt willing to make friends. They graciously introduced themselves in their school-renowned way. They stood silently waiting for her to introduce herself, which she did after a moment.

"My name is Kareru, and it's very nice to meet you all," she said politely. She knew she was in unfamiliar territory and the last thing she needed was a rich enemy (or seven). Her eyes were focused on the obvious twins of the group, fascinated by their antics of poking and prodding the one called Haruhi. Kareru noted the slight differences in the couple's behavior, and backed it up in her memory for the so-called 'Guess Which One is Hikaru Game' they had told her about. She stayed with the Host Club for a few hours before glancing at the clock. Her eyes widened and she hurriedly said her goodbyes before rushing out the door, forgetting her pack (A/N: which I actually do a lot during school). Hikaru and Kaoru picked up her bag and told the others that they would bring it to her house for her.

The twins looked up Kareru's address in the school database and drove their expensive car (yes, they have their driver's licenses in this story) to the small townhouse. They walked up the front stairs to the door of the "house" and placed the bag down on the doormat. They turned around to leave when they heard muffled screaming from within the townhouse along with a dull thumping sound. They peeked inside a window and saw something that made their faces pale and their stomachs flip-flop. Kareru was hand-cuffed to a chair, gagged and a young man kneeling in front of her. The similarities between the two inside the house mad the twins think that he was somehow related to her. He removed the gag from Kareru's mouth and tossed it aside. Hikaru and Kaoru ducked down to avoid being seen and couldn't see the scene themselves, but the muffled gagging noises and loud moans coming from the man made obvious what was happening. Without really thinking, Hikaru held up his camera-phone and snapped several shots of the gory scene. They intended on talking to Kyouya about this, knowing his family could help.

They heard the click of the handcuffs being removed and some incoherent shouting before the door opened and Kareru stumbled over her pack. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, noticing the two boys standing in front of her. She scrambled to get past them, but they caught her arms in their own to prevent her escape. She knew that this was not the best way to start a friendship, but she couldn't just tell them that her older brother did things to her. Then again, they had seen it for themselves. When she had calmed down, Hikaru and Kaoru released her from their grasp. She began to say something, but didn't get to finish her sentence as she flung herself to the rail on stairs. Her body lurched painfully as she vomited into the conveniently placed trash can by the front door. She wiped her mouth again and stared at the mixed mess of white and red in the container, almost gagging again at the sight. She raised her eyes to the boys, their own eyes looking at her with concern. Even though they knew this, how could she tell them the most horrible news of all?

Neros: Thank you for reading my first chapter. I hope Kareru wasn't too Mary-Sue, I really do. Please email me at in stead of reviewing. I would like to know how I could possibly change it to make it better. Keep in mind that everything that happens in this story (aside from the Ouran and Kareru/Hikaru love thing) is based off of real life events in my life. I know it sounds brutal, but I've lived through it and I am happy to say that my step-brother is no longer with us.

Another thing, I don't want any 'If it is any consolation…' notes about what happened. I'm fine. Thank you for your concern though.


End file.
